Pressurized dispensers



Aug. 3, 1965 s. LEFER PRESSURIZED DISPENSERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 16, 1962 Aug. 3, 1965 s. LEFER PRESSURIZED DISPENSERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 16, 1962 United States Patent 3,1%,394 ERESSURIZED DISPENSERS Samuel Lefer, 112 Eastwood Road, Fairfield, Conn.

Filed'Nov. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 238,685

9 Claims. (Cl. 222135) This invention relates to pressurized dispensers, such as -aerosol dispensers, wherein a closed can contains a substance to be dispensed and. a suitable propellant under pressure. Actuation of a valve allows the substance to be ejected by the pressure of the propellant gas.

Th pressurized dispenser has become a very common article in our modern civilization and is used for a wide variety of material. For example, dispensers of the aerosol type are often used for insect sprays, paint, and antisept-ics. Other types are widely used for shaving cream, toothpaste, foods, and for many other products. The popularity of these dispensers has resulted in a marketing and packaging revolution. They are extremely convenient to use and the product which is dispensed is often activated by the dispensing process itself into a final form which it would otherwise not have. For example, the pressurized shaving cream dispenser produces a foam which is ready for use. Other types of shaving cream dispensers, such as tubes, usually require use of a shaving brush in order to render the product usable. Similarly, pressurized dispensers are capable of ejecting food products, such as whipped cream, without the necessity of a separate whipping step. All these factors contribute to the popularity of the pressurized dispenser.

One disadvantage of prior art dispensers is that they are each capable of dispensing only one substance. This often limits their usefulness or requires that several dis ensers be kept on hand. For example, most men use shaving lotion. It would, therefore, be desirable if a single dispenser could be utilized to selectively dispense either shaving cream or shaving lotion. Similarly, plural food dispensers would be highly useful. For example, a single dispenser could produce both an ice cream syrup topping and a whipped topping. Such a device would also be useful for dispensing paint, especially if more than one type of spray were available. The dispenser could provide a fine spray of a base color and also provide a contrasting coarse spray for a splatter finish.

It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to provide a pressurized dispenser capable of selectively dispensing'a plurality of products. Other objects are to provide such a dispenser wherein only one valve is required; wherein such valve is of simple and inexpensive construction; and wherein the dispenser container is capable of retraining substances of various types without their mixing.

The manner in which the foregoing objects are achieved will be more apparent from the following description, the appended claims and the figures of the attached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a dispenser constructed in accordance with this invention, shown partially cut away;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial plan view of the dispenser of FIG.'1;

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken along line 33 of FIG.

2, showing the construction of'the novel valve of the ice an alternative construction of the dispenser of this invention;

FIG. 8 is a view taken along the line 8-3 of FIG. 7; FIG. 9 is an elevational view, partially cut away, of yet another alternative construction of the dispenser of this invention, and

FIG. 10 is a plan view of still another alternative construct-ion of a valve in accordance with this invention.

The objects of this invention are attained by provision of a pressurized dispenser which is separated into a plurality of compartments and a valve which is selectively disposable to each of a plurality of positions for dispensing material from a preselected compartment.

FIGS. 1-4 illustrate one embodiment of this invention wherein a pressurized container 10 is vertically divided into two chambers by an intermediate wall 12. The

a container 1 is provided with a concave base 14 for 2 (FIGS. 3 and 4).

resisting internal pressure and is of reduced diameter at its upper end to form a neck 16. A disc-shaped closure 13 having a cylindrical side Wall 22 is inserted within neck 16 and includes a spherical valve seat depression 20 tigous to the neck-16. A dispensing spout 24 extends from the upper end of the dispenser and is provided at its lower end with an integral spherical valve body 26 which seats in valve seat depression 2%. To retain the spout and valve in place a retaining cap disc 28 is positioned over thevalve body 26 and around the spout 24. Cap disc 23 includes a cylindrical side wall 3% and is integrally connected to closure 18 and container It) by rolling the neck 16 and the sides 22 and 30 to form an annular rim 31 as illustrated most clearly in FIGS. 3 and 4. Cap disc 28 has a centrally located shallow cylindrica-l depression 32 positioned as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 to retain a washer 34 of a resilient material, such as rubber, which encircles the spout 24. The depression 32 is provided with a slot 35 which is wide enough to allow sidewaysmovement of the dispenser spout 24 therein.

' passage communicates with the lower sur-face of the valve body 26.

The valve seat 20 includes a pair of openings positioned at substantially equal'distances on either side of the central wall 12 and each opening provides a flow passage to a separate dip tube 42, 44, each of which extends into the lower portion of one of the container chambers formed by the central wall 12.

It is important to the operation of the valve of this invention that the clearance between the cap disc 28 and closure 18, when combined with the thicknesses of washer 34 and valve body 26 be such that the resiliency of washer 34 exerts a continual downward compressive force against the valve body 26, seating it firmly in valve seat 20, and

simultaneously exerts a centering force against the side' tubes 42 or 44 when the spout is in its central position.

The operation of the valve of the invention will now be apparent from FIG. 4 wherein the spout is illustrated in two of its operativepositions. In the position'shown by solid lines it will be noted that the first dispensing pasto be dispensed from spout 24. It will also be noted that the second passage 46 and the angled passage 491 are out The cylindrical side wall 22 is conformed washer 34 returns the valve spout to its central position. In order to dispense material from the right hand side of the container, the spout is then moved to the position illustrated in 24, and the same sequence of events takes place, but the flow of material is from the right hand side of the central wall 12 through the second dispensing passage 49.

It will be understood that a number of immaterial variations may be made in this invention. For example, the dip tubes 42, 44 have been illustrated as elongated unitary tubes, for example of metal, which may be brazed to the valve seat depression 20 and extends to the bottom of container 10. However, these tubes may be in the form of short nipples extended by means of plastic tubes which are merely slipped over them. Similarly, although dispensing passages 38 and 4? are illustrated as terminating in the end of the spout 24, it will be realized that these passages may, in fact, be angled so as to eject material to opposite sides of the spout rather than at its end.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 there is illustrated a variation of the valve of the invention. In this illustration the spherical valve body is replaced by a cylindrical valve body 45 which is seated in a corresponding cylindrical valve seat depression 48. In other respects this valve is similar to that previously described and similar components are given similar reference numerals.

In FIG. 7 there is illustrated an alternative embodiment of this invention wherein the container 10 is divided into three chambers 50, 52, 54 by a pair of horizontal walls 56, 58. Each of three dip tubes 60, 62, 64 extends, respectively, into a different one of the chambers 50, 52, 54. The walls 56, 58 are sealed to the dip tubes 62, 64 at the points where they penetrate so as to eliminate leakage therebetwcen. With this construction a three-way valve is required and is illustrated in FIG. 8. This valve utilizes a spherical valve body as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, but includes three passages through the nozzle and three corresponding outlets in the valve body. A three-pronged slot 66 in the cap disc allows movement of nozzle 24 in any of the three directions and thus provides for alignment of one of the internal passages with one of the three dip tubes 60, 62, 64. A somewhat similarly constructed valves is illustrated in FIG. 10, but in this embodiment a four-pronged or X-shaped slot 68 is provided so that nozzle 24 may be selectively moved to any of four positions and thereby eject four different materials from the same container. The nozzle 24 and the spherical valve body in this instance contain four dispensing passages.

In FIG. 9 there is illustrated an alternative method for separating a container into a plurality of compartments. In this apparatus the container 10 is provided with a pair of dip tubes 42, 44 as shown in FIGS. 1-4. However, the container itself is not compartmentalized. Rather, a flexible bag 70 surrounds one of the dip tubes 4-2 and is sealed to the tube at its neck 72. If the dip tube 42 is of plastic, for example, this may easily be accomplished by heat-sealing or by one of the many suitable adhesives which are presently available. This configuration is of particular significance if a liquid is to be dispensed from one dispensing passage and a foam from the other. The bag 70 is always under pressure from the gases contained in the container 10 so that liquid will be easily dispensed withoutan additional pressure source. This may be parexample, the novel valve of this invention has been illustrated for use with plural compartments in a selective dispenser. However, such a valve utilizing a resilient washer for performing the functions of seating the valve, resiliently retaining the nozzle in a closed position, and serving as a seal between the container and the atmosphere, may also be used in a dispenser for a single substance. For these reasons the foregoing description is not intended to be limiting, but is illustrative only. This invention is limited only by the scope of the following claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A pressurized dispenser which comprises: a container having a plurality of compartments therein; nozzle means defining a plurality of separate independent dispensing passages therethrough; manually selectively operated valve means intermediate said container and nozzle means and arranged to interconnect any one of said compartments in fiuid flow relationship with a separate one of said dispensing passages and propellant means in each compartment for dispensing material therein out through said valve means and nozzle means on said each compartment being placed into fluid flow relationship.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein at least one of said compartments comprises a flexible bag disposed within the other compartment.

3. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said valve means comprises: a concave valve seat defining a plurality of openings therein, each of said openings communicating with a different one of said compartments; a convex valve body seated within said valve seat for rotation therein, said valve body defining a plurality or passages therethrough arranged for selective communication with said openings upon rotation of said valve body.

4. The dispenser of claim 3 wherein said valve body is integral with said nozzle means.

5. The dispenser of claim 4 wherein said valve seat includes a disc-shaped depression and said valve body is a disc seated therein.

6. The dispenser of claim 4 wherein said valve seat includes a spherical depression and said valve body is a sphere seated therein.

7. A pressurized dispenser which comprises: a container having a plurality of compartments therein; a closure cap on said container defining a concave spherical valve seat therein and a plurality of openings therein, each of said openings being in fluid flow relationship with a different one of said compartments; a spherical valve body positioned in said valve seat and having a cylindrical nozzle extending therefrom in a direction away from said closure cap, said valve body and nozzle defining a plurality of passages therethrough, a first end of each passage terminating at the surface of said valve body, said first ends arranged for alternative, selective communication with said openings upon rotation of said valve body within said valve seat; retaining cap means disposed substantially parallel to said closure cap and spaced therefrom to contain said valve body therebetween, said retaining cap means defining an opening for said nozzle arranged to allow lateral movement of said nozzle from a central position; and resilient means intermediate said retaining cap means and said valve body and arranged to simultaneously compressively retain said valve body against said valve seat and resiliently urge said nozzle to a central position substantially perpendicular to said closure cap.

3. The dispenser of claim '7 wherein said resilient means is a resilient washer encircling said nozzle.

9. A pressurized dispenser which comprises: a container having a compartment therein; a closure cap on said container definin a valve seat therein and an opening in fluid flow relationship between said valve seat and said compartment; a valve body seated on said valve seat for rotation relative thereto and having a nozzle extending therefrom in a direction away from said closure cap,

said valve body and nozzle defining a passage therethrough, a first end of said passage terminating at the surface of said valve body and arranged for communication with said opening upon rotation of said valve body relative to said valve seat; retaining cap means disposed substantially parallel to said closure cap and spaced therefrom to contain said valve body therebetween, said retaining cap means defining an opening for said nozzle arranged to allow lateral movement of said nozzle from a first position; and resilient Washer means intermediate said retaining cap means and said valve body and arranged to simultaneously compressively retain said valve body against said valve seat and resiliently urge said nozzle to said first position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Heneage 222-1445 Cox 222-1145 Brown 222-1445 Homm 222-145 X Hernandez 222-394 X Modderno 222-394 X Bramming 222-536 X Giangualano 222-394 X Puglis 222-144 X RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner. LOUIS J. DEMBO; Examiner. 

1. A PRESSURIZED DISPENSER WHICH COMPRISES: A CONTAINER HAVING A PLURALITY OF COMPARTMENTS THEREIN; NOZZLE MEANS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF SEPARATE INDEPENDENT DISPENSING PASSAGES THERETHROUGH; MANUALLY SELECTIVELY OPERATED VALVE MEANS INTERMEDIATE SAID CONTAINER AND NOZZLE MEANS AND ARRANGED TO INTERCONNECT ANY ONE OF SAID COMPARTMENTS IN FLUID FLOW RELATIONSHIP WITH A SEPARATE ONE OF SAID DISPENSING PASSAGES AND PROPELLANT MEANS IN EACH COMPARTMENT FOR DISPENSING MATERIAL THEREIN OUT THROUGH SAID VALVE MEANS AND NOZZLE MEANS ON SAID EACH COMPARTMENT BEING PLACED INTO FLUID FLOW RELATIONSHIP. 